


And yet, you saw me

by GinnyLuna11



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Hockey, I feel like soft bois in the NHL are getting beat up right now so have this as some comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Parswoops, a lil angst but it's all gonna be fine i SWEAR, a teeny bit of internalized NHL homophobia, secret crushes, there's a BLINK and you miss it Jack Zimmermann reference, they're both soft bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26097106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyLuna11/pseuds/GinnyLuna11
Summary: It's been three years since Jeff's career-ending injury and he's over it. Mostly. He's also mostly over his stupid, ridiculous crush on the one and only Kent Parson. Maybe.So when Jeff runs into Kent at his local corner grocery store, Jeff wonders what the hell he's doing in the outskirts of Vancouver, when he just posted a picture on Instagram of him on a Grecian island with his buddies.(The situation gets more confusing for Jeff when Kent actually honest to god recognizes him. And, somehow, remembers him.)
Relationships: Kent "Parse" Parson/Jeff "Swoops" Troy
Comments: 27
Kudos: 106





	1. Vancouver

**Author's Note:**

> I cannot stress how much fun this was to write. Is my love for Kent and Jeff showing too much? 
> 
> Also it's a Jeff POV!! I had to give some love to my other sweet boi. I promise there’s only fluff and comfort in this house, baby that and MUTUAL PINING!!!! CAKE!!! AND KENT’S UNDYING LOVE!! (What a dork!!)
> 
> Also, the AHL is mentioned in this fic, which I just thought I’d explain for those who may not know! The AHL (also commonly referred to as just the A) is the hockey league that’s one step down from the NHL. Every NHL team has an AHL affiliate, where they can send players they don’t necessarily need at that given moment or feel like could use more development. The NHL teams can also bring players up from the AHL that are doing particularly well. I hope this helps!
> 
> I'm also sorry for verb tense changes this fic was written over like four months lol
> 
> And yes, my headcanon here is that Kent's family is solely strong, flirty women hahaha
> 
> As always, all characters were created by the brilliant Ngozi!

It had been three years since Jeff Troy played in the last hockey game of his (short) career.

It had been three years since the last time Jeff had skated out onto the ice with the Las Vegas Aces’ AHL affiliate against the Leigh Valley Phantoms. 

It had been three years since he crashed into the net at such an awkward position that he had to be stretchered off the ice.

It had been three years since he was told he would never be able to play hockey professionally again.

And it had been four years since Jeff had last seen Kent Parson in person.

It was at one of Jeff’s treasured 52 NHL games played during his career, before being forced to retire at the ripe age of 25, where Kent Parson was on the same ice as he was. Where he played on the same line as Kent Parson, once upon a time. Where they clicked immediately and gave each other assists and goals.

It was the day before he was sent down to the A when Kent Parson had patted him on the back and told him he played a good game. 

It was the day before he was sent down to the A when Kent Vincent Parson, the kindest, most beautiful man he’d ever met, patted him on the back and let his hand linger a little, his eyes meeting Jeff’s for a moment that lasted long enough for someone to notice, and for someone to tell management. 

And it was the day after Jeff watched Kent walk away for the last time when he was quickly sent to the A. Their star player couldn’t be distracted, and the Aces didn’t want to make waves.  
And Jeff understood and already cared for Kent too much to pit the superstar’s career against Aces management, so he went to the A with no complaint and never spoke to Kent again.

That didn’t stop him from having a stupid crush though. Nothing would ever come of it, Jeff knew, but what Jeff didn’t know (and could never predict) was that after his once every other day workout at the local gym, he would, limping slightly and disgustingly sweaty, run into Kent Parson at a small grocery store in his hometown of Vancouver on a Thursday afternoon in mid-July. 

According to Kent’s Instagram that Jeff had seen an hour earlier (only because it was on his feed, definitely not because it was one of his most visited pages), Kent should have been on an island off the coast of Greece right now with some of his friends from upstate New York, not perusing the boxed cake section of the tiny corner grocery store in Vancouver. 

Jeff thought that maybe he could get away unnoticed since he hadn’t been in the NHL for very long- he didn’t technically get drafted, most of his game time was in the AHL and he only ever played a little over half a season with Parson, but another thing that Jeff couldn’t predict was Kent Parson’s encyclopedic knowledge of hockey. 

“Jeff Troy?” 

Oh shit.

Jeff had been on his way out of the aisle when Kent had somehow noticed and remembered him. He slowly turned around. 

“Man, how have you been?” Jeff turned around to fully face Kent, and it felt like all the air was punched out of him. Kent was still a few inches shorter than he was, but he had, somehow, gotten more attractive. His constant use of social media didn’t do those dimples justice. Or the golden hair. Jeff was just standing there, looking at Kent, unbelieving, and Kent smiled at him, stupid dimples on display, and Jeff cursed every hockey god there was that he had to run into Kent now.

“Last I heard you couldn’t play hockey anymore,” Kent’s still bright from smiling eyes flicked down to Jeff’s knee brace, which he was still self-conscious of, even though it was a glorified sock with some metal in it now. Even more so when two-time Stanley Cup Champion Kent Vincent Parson knew who he was and was concerned for his well-being after he dropped off the face of the planet.

“Yeah, a shattered knee and some torn ligaments can end your career very quickly,” Jeff awkwardly laughed, trying to lighten the mood. 

Kent nodded understandingly, looking back at the cake shelves. He made a quick decision and picked one off the shelf. This was too awkward for Jeff and he was somehow sweating more than he was at the gym and he really needed to get some ice on his knee. Was this a dream? No, it couldn’t be. Seeing Kent in a dream wouldn’t hurt as much as it did right now when Jeff was faced with the one thing he’d been wishing for years but couldn’t have.

Kent frowned down at the floor and looked back up at Jeff, with a little sadness in his eyes. “Why’d they ever send you back down to the A? You were great playing on my line. With some training and practice, you would have been amazing with me. I mean, as- as teammates.”

Kent looked down at the red velvet cake box he had grabbed, suddenly very interested in his nutrition value. Jeff was sure his face was redder than the cake on Kent’s box.

Jeff didn’t know how to break it to him that the one lingering touch and look they had shared four years ago was what had gotten him sent down. (The moment that Jeff thought about in every hard day of physical therapy and sometimes at night before he fell asleep.)

Jeff thought that Kent was into him too, maybe, but with every single reporter talking about girls he’d been with and speculating about his strictly heterosexual partying life, it was hard not to believe them. And after four years, the lingering eye contact Jeff thought he shared with Kent had become nothing more but a dream.

“I wasn’t the right fit for their organization, I guess.”

And that was the moment in which Kent Parson read between the lines, knew exactly what Jeff meant.

It was also in that moment where Jeff realized that Kent was way smarter than anyone thought he was.

“I haven’t been the right fit for their organization since the day I was born, but who can say no to living in Vegas?” Kent smiled up at him, that same flirtatious smile he always gave the media, but something else was hidden in it, behind the cockiness, behind the confidence. Jeff could see the secrets and fear hidden there.

Jeff looked down at the floor, trying and failing to hide a smile. “You’re right. I guess I’ve endured too many Canadian winters to stay there, eh? The maple syrup thickens my blood too much for the desert.”

Kent laughed just a little bit too loud, but Jeff was so distracted by just Kent being there that he didn’t even notice. (Maybe he could have seen what was coming if he did.)

“So, what are you doing in Vancouver?” Jeff asked, trying to extend the conversation for as long as possible while secretly dying to know what the hell Kent was doing here instead of Greece or upstate New York. 

“Well, my Mom’s mom lives here still, and it’s her 80th birthday today, so my Mom and sister and I came out here like two weeks ago to hang out. I’m surprised I haven’t seen you around yet, actually. You’re from here, right?”

Damn beautiful Kent Parson and his stupid hockey knowledge.

“Yeah. My parents and brother are out of town this week because of his travel hockey stuff, and I just… couldn’t bring myself to go with them.”

Even though his injury was years ago, Jeff still feels like it happened yesterday. Which of course it didn’t, because he could walk all by himself now thank you very much, but just being around ice… still hurt. More than he could describe. 

Kent nods as if Jeff had told him everything. “I get it, man. Sucks not being able to be out on the ice. I couldn’t even imagine what you had to go through. Have to go through.”

Was Kent closer to Jeff than he was before? Had he always been looking up at Jeff like this? Was he hallucinating? If Kent got any closer, Jeff was afraid he would pass out.

“Will you ever be able to get back out on the ice again?”Jeff looked away.

“Well, I would have needed a squad of professional physical therapists right off the bat if I was ever going to get back out on the ice again for real. But the Aces just kinda….” Jeff cleared his throat. Kent didn’t need to know that they had kicked him off the roster as soon as they found out what it would take to get him back into playing shape. He shrugged his shoulders instead. “I can skate just for fun now. Nothing professional or anything. Just easy laps. I haven’t yet since, y’know.”

Kent nodded vigorously. “Maybe we could go skating together sometime, hit the puck around.”

Jeff was going to cry. He needed to get out of here. He couldn’t handle the thought of being on the ice with Parse knowing he’d never wear the same jersey as him again. 

“Yeah, m-maybe. I should probably go-““Come to my Grandma’s birthday party tonight.”

Jeff raised his eyebrows. 

“You want me to come to your Grandma’s 80th birthday party?”

Kent shrugged, a little smile on his face. “Yeah, why not? We could catch up some more. Plus my sister Katie has been bugging me to bring other hockey players around for years. She’d kill me if she found out I ran into you and didn’t invite you to the party tonight.”

Jeff thought this over for a minute. Beautiful, talented, NHL superstar, future Hall-of-Famer Kent Parson is asking him to his Grandma’s birthday party, looking up at him hopefully. 

“It’ll only be my Grandma, sister, mom, and I, so really your company will be appreciated.”

Damn Kent Parson and his cute earnest face.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll come.”

Jeff was blinded by Kent’s smile. 

——

Jeff showed up to Kent’s grandma’s house fifteen minutes early with a bottle of wine he stole from his parents’ kitchen and his nicest shorts on. 

He took a deep breath and before he could even ring the doorbell, the door flew open and his arms were filled with Kent Parson, who was ecstatically giving him a bro hug. 

“I’m so glad you could make it Troy!” Kent said, squeezing Jeff before letting go of him. Jeff didn’t think he’d ever seen Kent this happy, not even when he had watched them win the Stanley Cup for the third time back when his knee was still swaddled in a brace and ice. He was happy, of course, but this was kid in a candy shop happy. 

“Me too,” he said happily, Kent’s enthusiasm infectious. 

They stood there for another moment, just looking at each other before Kent ushered him inside.

“Come in, come in. Everyone’s really excited you’re here,” Kent told Jeff as he closed the door behind them. “This way,” Kent said as he led them to the kitchen with a hand surreptitiously placed on Jeff’s mid-back.

Jeff looked over at Kent, an eyebrow raised, and Kent immediately withdrew his hand, his face growing red.

Before Jeff could respond, Kent’s Mom appears in the doorway to the kitchen. “Jeff! It’s good to finally meet you!” she says as he’s pulled into a hug.

“It’s good to meet you too, Ms. Parson.”

“Oh, please, call me Erica. And hon, you didn’t have to bring anything, we’re just happy you’re here.” She patted him on the shoulder and squeezed as he handed her the wine he brought.

“I’m happy to be here too,” Jeff said warmly, smiling at Erica and glancing at Kent out of the corner of his eye. He quickly looks away when he realizes Kent is looking straight back at him.realizes that Kent was already looking at him. 

Erica smiles at them knowingly. “Well, come on in, Grandma Millie’s excited you’re here too.”

She leads them into the kitchen, Jeff taking in the comforting atmosphere the whole way. Even though Jeff knows Kent lives in a huge penthouse in Las Vegas that’s tastefully decorated, this slightly crowded homey place just… feels like Kent. 

“Well, aren’t you a handsome man!” Jeff’s eyes land finally on Kent’s grandmother, who is sitting at the kitchen table, making what looks like homemade bread, with the top intricately cut into a design. Erica laughs and shakes her head as she busies herself at the stove.

Jeff laughs a little awkwardly. “Um, thank you.” 

Kent coughs. “Jeff, this is Grandma Millie. Grandma, this is Jeff Troy. We used to play on the Aces together.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Grandma Millie.”“Oh, a pretty boy like you can call me Millie. Or whatever else you like.”

“I might just stick with Grandma Millie if that’s alright. And Happy Birthday! Thank you for letting me crash your party.”

“Thank you so much, dear. I think you’re the best present Kent’s gotten me in a while. You’re welcome here anytime.”

Jeff and Kent’s faces grew unbelievably red and Kent began to say something, but before he could, Katie took the words right out of his mouth.

“Grandma!” exclaimed a girl walking in from another doorway. “Don’t flirt with him yet, he hasn’t even been here for ten minutes.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and held her hand out to Jeff. “I’m Katie, Kent’s fabulous older sister who is remarkably single at the moment, much like someone else here whose name starts with a K and rhymes with Pent.” 

Katie is smirking in a way that Jeff had definitely seen from Kent before, both in-person and on his phone at 3 am when he wasn’t sure he was strong enough to make it through physical therapy. Somehow, seeing that media-conscious smirk made Jeff think that things would work out themselves out eventually.

“Kent, why don’t you come help me with this bread here for a moment,” Grandma Millie said. 

Kent looked at Jeff apologetically. “I’ll be right back.”

“Kent, why don’t you grab us a couple of cocktails while you’re at it as well? I was thinking…”

Jeff sees Millie and Katie share a conspiratorial glance as she pulls him aside in the kitchen, grabbing herself a beer on the way. “You want one?”

“No, I’m alright, thanks. I drove here, so.”

Katie’s eyebrows raise. “Wow, hot, tall, and responsible. It’s like you’re too perfect to be real. And a hockey player?” Katie blows out some air and takes a sip of her beer.

“That’s right, Kent did say he invited me here cause you wanted to meet more hockey guys.”

Katie snorted. “That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard.”

Jeff immediately went numb. “What?”

“You’re Kent’s. You always have been. Plus I have a feeling I might not be your type if you know what I mean.”

All Jeff could do was look disbelievingly at Katie. 

“Yeah, so, Kent texted me from the grocery store when he saw you. 911, all caps. I thought something was wrong until I read them.”

Katie pulled out her phone and showed Jeff texts from Kent, which read: 

——> KATIE KATIE KATEI DO YOU REMEMBER JEFF TROY THE JEFF TROY THAT USED TO PLAY FOR US YES THAT JEFF TROY THE REALLY REALLY CUTE ONE I’VE STALKED FOR FIVE YEARS WELL HE’S HERE IN THE GOROCERY STORE WHAT DO I OD 

Kent if you don’t <————  
go talk to him I’m going to kill you 

——> oh SHIT NOW HE’S IN THE SAME AISLE AS ME???? FUKC DO I TALK TO HIM????,,,,,, I forgot HOW TALL AND HOT HE WAS HEpL mE KATHERINE

——> I JUST WANTED TO GET GRANDMA’S CAKE AND NOW WTFFIJFLK WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO??? 

Tell him you’ve been <———  
having elaborate sexual fantasies about him

——> AUUHGHHH okay im gonna do it im gonna talk to him pls send help

Jeff looked back up at Katie, who had a smug look on her face as she plucked her phone out of his hands.

“I don’t understand. After I got sent down to the A-“

“He never forgot about you, Jeff.”

Jeff looked over at Kent, who was currently helping Millie knead some more dough. He looked so relaxed here, in a way Jeff had never seen. In a way that Jeff wanted to desperately hold onto and keep forever. 

“I know for a fact he watched every AHL game you were in,” Katie said, crossing her arms. “When you got injured, he was so close to dropping his whole season to go be with you, until I convinced him that the timing to confess his undying love might not be right.”

“There’s no way.”

Katie smiled at Jeff, who was still looking at Kent in wonder. Kent noticed and whispered something to Grandma Millie. She patted his cheek and turned to Erica, as Kent started to head towards them, drink in hand.

“Kent’s the most caring person I know, once you get through all the attitude and confidence. He’s just had trouble showing everyone who he really is because... well. Maybe you can help change that.”

All Jeff had time to do was try not to look stunned as Kent reached them, nudging his elbow with Jeff’s.

“What are you two talking about over here? Embarrassing stories of me?”

“Of course not Kent, I’m the best older sister there is and would never, ever do such a thing.” She winked at Jeff. “Oh and by the way?”

Kent hummed as he took a sip of his drink. 

“If you don’t start dating Jeff soon, I will.” 

Kent almost choked on his drink. 

“Katie, oh my god.” 

“I’ll talk to you later Jeff.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. 

Kent scoffed out of disbelief and narrowed his eyes at her as she walked away.

“So, all the Parsons are massive flirts,” Jeff said, turning to face Kent.

Kent smiled at Jeff so brightly, that Jeff felt like he was staring into the sun in the middle of the summer.

“At least now you know I come by it honestly.”

They made their way through a delicious dinner, which was accompanied by the most delicious bread Jeff had ever tasted. Jeff came out relatively unscathed flirting-wise, especially after Kent’s whispered conversation with Katie in the next room over that Jeff, unfortunately, could not hear, due to Grandma Millie grilling him about his life. 

Grandma Millie then opened presents while everyone ate the cake from a box Kent had almost burned when he baked it earlier. (Jeff only made fun of the liberal amounts of frosting that Kent had to put on it to mask the burned taste.) 

Kent stayed by Jeff’s side the whole night, brushing knees under the dinner table, Kent’s arm around the back of the sofa where Jeff sat right next to him as Grandma Millie opened the new crochet set Kent had gotten her. 

Jeff, of course, was hyper-aware of everything Kent was doing, but he easily wrote it off as Kent just being Kent. He was known for being supportive in the locker room with head pats and shoulder pats (he even bumped Jeff’s shins with his stick as he got off the ice once), most hockey guys were, really, so Jeff didn’t really think twice about the contact. He forced himself not to. He didn’t want to be let down again by something he was so close to having, but could never fully reach. 

It was only when the night had finally come to an end, with Erica and Katie settling down to watch a soap opera with Millie when Jeff realized it was after midnight. 

Kent had long since fallen asleep on Jeff’s shoulder, and Jeff really didn’t want to wake him, but he had to leave. This… this wasn’t his life. He couldn’t hide in this bubble forever, where he had a few stray suspicions that Kent liked him and a comforting, bread-making, flirty grandma. 

However, Jeff couldn’t help himself. He reached up to stroke Kent’s hair with his spare hand before whispering his name to wake him up. 

Kent slowly sat up from Jeff’s shoulder, blinking slowly. “What time issit?”

Jeff hesitated. He could easily say that it was too late for him to go home and ask if he could stay here, watching soap operas all night, with a beautiful boy asleep on his shoulder. 

“After midnight. I’ve gotta go home,” Jeff whispered softly. 

“Alright, I’ll walk you out.”

“You don’t have to-“

But Kent was already stretching and walking quietly over to his Mom, whispering to her. She squeezed Kent’s hand and smiled close-lipped at him. She waved goodbye to Jeff, squeezed Kent’s hand once more, and turned her attention back to the show. 

“Sorry about that,” Kent said normally, as they walked back through the kitchen and the front hall. “If you disturb Grandma and Katie during their soaps they get crazy pissed.”

Jeff smiled. “I get it. My aunt’s the same way. Tell them I said goodbye and thank you, though.”

“I’ll deliver the message,” Kent said, that smirk coming onto his face. He opened the front door, letting Jeff out before him.

“So,” Jeff began, unsure of how to say goodbye to Kent. He didn’t really want to say goodbye. 

“So,” Kent responded, looking a little sad and closing the door behind him.

“Thanks for inviting me, Parse. I… It was really fun tonight.”

“Yeah. It was fun having you here. I think my family definitely liked you. If you come over again, they might bust out the baby pictures.” Kent looked up at Jeff, craning his neck a little bit because they were standing just a little too close to each other that was a reasonable distance for hockey bros. “You should come back.”

“I think I will.” Jeff realized how close they were and took a step back, clearing his throat. “Well, I, um. I should probably get home. 

“Yeah, you don’t want to break curfew, eh?”

Jeff went down the steps backward as he said, “Wow, careful Parser. You don’t want to be sounding too Canadian. America might disown you.”

Kent laughed one if those stunningly real laughs of his. “Bye, Jeff.”

“Bye, Kent.”

As Jeff reaches the door of his car, he looked back one last time at Kent. Of course, Kent was still there, waiting to make sure Jeff got into his car alright, and he waved at Jeff one last time. 

Jeff couldn’t stand it anymore, seeing Kent look so small on the stoop of his Aunt’s house, with hands back in his pockets.

So, Jeff toss aside all logic and ran back up to the house, pulling Kent into a hug. 

He pulled back and smiled at a stunned Kent. 

“Sorry, I just, um. You looked like you needed a hug.” Silence filled the space that was now in between them for a frozen moment. “Bye Kent. I’ll see you around sometime.” 

Jeff started down the steps again, when he heard a “Wait!” from behind him. “Hold on a second.”

Jeff turned and saw Kent had come down the steps to meet him. 

“I, um. I’m really glad we ran into each other at the store today.”

Jeff smiled a little and couldn’t resist chirping Kent a tiny bit. Before Jeff could open his mouth though, Kent took a step closer to him, examining his face. His eyes grew wide with panic after a moment. 

“Oh, shit. Katie showed you my texts, didn’t she? When you guys were talking earlier.”

“Yeah. To be fair, they were pretty cute.”

Kent let out a loud groan and took a couple more steps until his head was buried in Jeff’s chest. 

“I was so embarrassed to see you.”

Now, Jeff was confused at this. If anyone here should have been embarrassed earlier today, it should be himself, because he was a washed-up NHL player living with his parents coming face to face with the troublemaking darling of the NHL.

“Are you kidding? Why the hell were you embarrassed to see me? You’re Kent Parson, I was definitely the one who was embarrassed here.” 

Kent backed away from Jeff, looking up at him and scoffing. 

“No way.”

“Yes, way! I thought you were in Greece, not on the opposite side of the world in Vancouver, of all places.”

Kent’s face was twisted up in confusion before realization dawned on him. 

“Oh, oh my god. I went to Greece for a week with the team right after we got kicked out of the playoffs and I’ve been posting pictures since we left to make people think I was still there. Can’t let everyone know that I’m really just an upstate New York kid who has a sweet spot for his Grandma, right?”

Jeff shrugged. “I don’t see why not. That upstate New York kid is actually pretty sweet. I remember he patted me on the back after every game we were in together. He even waited until we were the last two on the ice leaving a game and tapped his stick on my shin guards.”

Kent faltered for so quick of a moment that Jeff wasn’t sure he had actually faltered at all before a look of awe came over his face. “I... you- you remember that too?”

Jeff chuckled in disbelief. “Of course I remember. I only played a few handfuls of games in the NHL, so yeah I remembered when the superstar of the NHL told me, a nobody, that I had a good game.” Jeff hesitated. “I’m just surprised you remember me.”

Kent paused for another moment making a face at the ground.

“Of course I remember you. Whenever you were in the locker room, you made everyone feel special. Everyone could tell you loved being there. I kind of… I kind of knew why they sent you down. I had my suspicions. But I didn’t want to think about it too much because it made me too sad. I just... that night before you left I was kind of hoping, well maybe wishing that... I don’t know maybe something would happen. Eventually.” 

Jeff raised his eyebrows and ducked his head to whisper to Kent. 

“But I’m a has-been. You… you deserve so much better.”

Kent held steady eye contact with Jeff, his eyes shining defiantly. 

“I could say the same to you Jeff,” Kent said in a low voice as if he was challenging Jeff. He paused for a moment, looking down, and Jeff noticed that Kent’s nose wrinkled a little as he thought. “I see you, Jeff Troy.”

All the air in Jeff’s lungs was knocked out of him, as he looked up and around the dark neighborhood and finally back to Kent, who was still looking at him. 

“I really hope this isn’t a dream,” Jeff said with a hint of a laugh in his voice, tears slowly falling down his cheeks as he bends down to meet Kent’s lips with his own. 

Kent softly shook his head as he broke their kiss. “Not anymore.” He stroked Jeff’s cheek with his thumb, wiping away some of the tears there. 

Both boys smiled in disbelief and went in for another kiss, a slow one. Jeff thought back to the guy who sat on the ice three years ago, who laid flat on his back while his teammates who didn’t really care about him surrounded him. The guy who struggled to hold back his tears in the trainer’s room, the guy who knew his career was over, the guy who thought whole his life was over. 

Jeff pulled back for a moment to look into Kent’s damp eyes. 

“It’s just allergies, I swear,” he said, tilting his head back and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. 

“So I guess you’re allergic to me, then?” Jeff said, smiling, only to receive a punch on his chest. 

“Shut up, Troy.” Kent laughed, quickly sobering up and looking into Jeff’s eyes. They were full of hope and happiness and... Jeff’s future. 

It was right then that Jeff knew his life didn’t end when he had to stop playing hockey. As Kent slipped his hand into Jeff’s he knew that, really, everything was only just beginning.


	2. Vegas

A year later, when Jeff had moved out to Vegas as one of the brand-new assistant coaches for the junior Aces, he took pride in wearing the same jersey as Kent to be a spectator at the Aces home opener, gleefully getting into an argument with a pig-headed Aces fan who said Parson wasn’t doing enough for the team. (He only cried a couple of times when he and Kent skated around the empty arena afterward, but Kent squeezed his hand and understood.)

And whatever happened next… well. Let’s just say that the big question mark that formed in Jeff’s life the second his knee hit that post four years ago had turned into something more like a work of fate, magic held in the quiet nights Kent tried to cook dinner for Jeff, where he would set off the smoke alarms and they’d have to open every window in their house. 

Where Kent would profusely apologize, but Jeff would just pull him in for a kiss instead. Where Jeff would take a step back from Kent, just to admire him. Where Jeff would whisper that he was so lucky to have this, to have Kent, late at night, in bed, after they had gotten rid of the smoke, when he thinks Kent is asleep, only to end up with a sleepy Kent Parson on his chest, fiercely burying his head in Jeff’s neck. Where Kent would tell him he loves him in his ear, a promise, a secret, a treasure, just for him, and where Jeff would finally, finally get to say it back. 

He was whole again.

And so, as Kent slept soundly next to him, buried into Jeff’s side, Jeff thanked whatever god was out there for blessing Kent with his stupid, irrefutable hockey knowledge.

(He thanked the hockey gods again when Kent proposed to him on the ice after winning the cup for a third time with no warning to Aces PR or management.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AGAIN thank you so much for reading!!! <3<3

**Author's Note:**

> SORRY THE END IS SO CHEESY I COULDN’T HELP MYSELF BUT I HOPE Y’ALL LIKE IT REGARDLESS!!!! WE ALL NEED A LITTLE CHEESE IN OUR LIVES!!!!! Sorry for the caps I’m just EXCITED ABOUT THIS FIC AHHH


End file.
